Back for another crack
Young Landscaper of the Year returnee Taumata O Te Ra has plenty on his plate – a young family, a growing landscaping business and unfinished business
Since competing two years ago, Taumata’s career has taken a significant step forward. After previously working for Luijten Landscaping, he launched Auckland-based OTERA Landscapes in April 2025.
Starting his own business had always been in the back of his mind, but some big changes in his personal life provided the push he needed.
“I had just bought a house in February last year and then, around about the same time, found out my wife was pregnant,” he says.
“I was always going to start a business or work for myself at some point, but that was the nudge I needed. Something that’s important for us, to at least attempt to make happen, is for my wife to be a stay-at-home mum.”
Working out
So far, the decision is paying off. OTERA has maintained a steady pipeline of work, with Taumata supported by one full-time employee.
He’s particularly proud of a current Auckland project involving a complete pool surround, including kwila decking, concrete, glass pool fencing and landscaping.
Pool environments are central to Taumata’s plans for the business. His longer-term goal is to grow OTERA to two two-person teams, with himself overseeing operations, and establish the company as a specialist in complete pool surrounds and outdoor living spaces.
“We’re working really hard at the moment on specialising in the pool surrounds space,” he says. “That’s become our bread and butter.”
Unfinished business at Young Landscaper of the Year
While Taumata admits he is “definitely pushing to take a win this time”, his previous Young Landscaper of the Year (YLOY) experience taught him there is much more to the competition than the final result.
“One of the standout experiences was the amount of learning and collaboration that came out of being in a room with a whole lot of like-minded people,” he says.
Rather than keeping their knowledge to themselves, Taumata remembers competitors swapping advice between stations and helping each other improve.
“Everyone was actually just helping each other learn and be better, which was really cool to see.”
It’s an attitude he has encountered even more since starting OTERA, whether networking with other businesses to keep his workload flowing or collaborating with people across the industry.
“In our industry, people do just want to help each other. We all want to have good landscapers building good landscapes and collaborating with each other to be better.”
For Taumata, that also makes YLOY an opportunity to show the wider public just how much skill professional landscaping requires.
“We’re still battling with the whole perception of, ‘don’t you guys just mow lawns?’ There’s still a huge misconception about what we do.
“Events like this are perfect to showcase what we’re all about – and that it’s a bit more technical than just mowing lawns and cutting edges.”
Young Landscaper of the Year will be held at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens on 19 September, with 10 finalists competing across a range of practical and professional challenges.
